Article tipover signal for lehrs



Biz/Z H220 it@ eggs Feb. 4, 1941. c. F.- BIRD ARTICLE TIPOVER SIGNAL FOR LEHRS Filed NOV. 9, 1938 Patented Feb. I4, 1941 l i ARTICLE movEn SIGNAL Fon Lamis Clarence F. Bird, Chattanooga, Tenn., assigner to Hartford-Empire Company, Hartford. Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application Nevember 9, 193s, serial No. 239,619

7Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in lehrs which are equipped with automatic ware handling devices, known as stackers, for transferring the articles to be annealed from receiving stations,

such as bucks, to the lehr conveyors and for distributing them laterally on the conveyors in predetermined spaced relation with respect to each other.

It is customary, in the operation of lehrs, to

employ stackers to effect loading of the lehr conveyors with the ware to be annealed. These stackers operate automatically and vspace the successive articles on the lehr conveyors by distributing them laterally onto the moving lehr conveyors so that each such lehr conveyor as it moves through the lehr tunnel will carry articles arranged in longitudinal rows with sulllcient rows being provided on the conveyor to utilize practically the entire width thereof. The articles are placed on the moving conveyor of a lehr in a zone immediately adjacent to the entrance to the lehr tunnel. Each article thus deposited, unless it is the nrst article to be deposited on the lehr conveyor at the beginning of operation of the lehr or is in a row next to an edge of the lehr conveyor, is prevented from falling forward or laterally by the adjacent articles but may fall over in a rear- Vevvard direction, i. e., away from the entrance to thelehr tunnel. If this happens, the article that o has fallen on the lehr conveyor will interfere with the subsequent operation of the stacker in that the upset article on the conveyor will cause Subsc-- quent articles to tip or fall over and soon cause a condition which may result in loss of considerable 35 glassware. Slight inequalities in the ware supporting surface of the conveyor or any shock,

jar or lateral stress imparted to the upper part of an article as it is deposited on a lehr conveyor or soon thereafter may cause it to fall over onto o its side, particularly if the article is relatively tall in relation to the area of its base or is easily tiltable for any other reason.

An object of the present invention is to provide a reliable and ecient device for apprising s the lehr operator or attendant that an article has fallen over as it is deposited on the lehr conveyor or soon thereafter so that such operator or attendant may set the article upright in its proper place on the lehr conveyor before subsean article tipover signal device of the character` described which can be quickly and easily applied operatively to. a lehr without requiring any substantial change in or addition to the usual structure of the lehr and without interference with the normal operation thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter be pointed out or will become apparent from the following description of a practical embodiment of the invention, as shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the front or ware entering end oi a lehr to which an article tipover signal constituting an illustrative example of the present invention has been applied, y

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the structure shown in Fig. l, illustrating the manner in which a signal-'device of the present invention is operated by an article, such as a bottle, as it falls over in a rearward direction after it has been deposited in an upright position on the lehr conveyor.

In the drawing, the front end portion of a lehr l0 for glassware is shown in part. This lehr has a tunnel il through which the ware to be annealed is transported` by the upper reach of a flexible lehr conveyor l2. This lehr conveyor may be of woven wire construction, as is usual.

As shown, the upper or ware bearing reach of the lehr conveyor is guided and supported at the front of the lehr by a roller I3 and then passes over a substantially at supporting surface it (Fig. 2) to and through the entrance to the lehr tunnel and thence through such tunnel. The entrance to the lehr tunnel may be considered as being the transverse zone beneath the vertically ,Y adjustable front door or closure l5. The articles to be annealed, which may be bottles as shown at I6, are loaded onto successive portions of the lehr conveyor just before they pass into the entrance to the lehr tunnel. As stated, this loading in actual practice generally is accomplished by the use of a stacker which distributes successive articles-laterally throughout a loading zone at the front of the entrance to the lehr tunnel, the result being that the articles I6 are arranged by the operation of the stacker and the movement of the lehr conveyor in rows which extend longitudinally on the conveyor and are suicient in number to load the lehr conveyor throughout substantially its entire width. The width of the lehr conveyor may be but slightly less than the full width of the lehr tunnel.

One form of stacker i. e., the Hartford stacker, which is well known in the art and is adapted to 'eifect loading oi the conveyor of a lehr equipped with the present invention, is shown and described in detail in Patent No. 1,878,156, granted to Edward Hlorenzaassignor to Hartford-Empire Company, on September 20, 1932 for Apparatus for handling glassware. As the present invention may be employed advantageously in the operation of lehrs which are loaded by automatic ware handling devices or stackers oi any suitable known construction and mode oi operation and as a stacker or automatic ware handling device does not, per se, form part of the present invention, no example thereof has been shown in the drawing.

In carrying out the invention, a lehr having a conveyor onto which the articles to be annealed are loaded by an automatic ware handling device or stacker, substantially as described. is provided with a signalvactuator, adapted to be actuated by an article that has fallen over after it has been placed upright in its proper position on the portion oi the lehr conveyor that then occupies the loading zone in front of the entrance to the lehr tunnel. As applied to the lehr shown in the drawing, the signal actuator comprises a rod like member having a vertically swingable body portion I1 extending substantially the full width of the lehr conveyor and provided at its ends with aligned journal portions I8. These journal portions I8 of the signal actuator are supported in bearings I9 which are adjustably secured in place on side members or rails 20 ofthe lehr structure or framework. As shown, the bearings I 8 are provided with slots 2I through which securing devices 22, which may be screws or capbolts, extend into the supporting members 20 and maintain the bearing members in adjusted positions on such supporting members. By loosening the fastening devices 22, the bearings I9 may be moved longitudinally on the supporting members 20 toward or away from the entrance to the lehr tunnel so as to position the body Il of the signal actuating member closer or farther away from the particularplaces at which the articles are deposited on the lehr conveyor as the .stacker distributes them laterally of such conveyor. 'I'his adjustment permits positioning of the signal actuator in the most desirable positions at different times for articles oi.' different heights and sizes.

The body Il of the signal actuator is curved or oiset forwardly, i. e., toward the entrance of the lehr tunnel. so as to be movable upwardly and downwardly about a horizontal axis coincident with the axial line of the journals or end portions I8 oi such actuator. As shown, the body il is curved substantially along an arc corresponding approximately to that along which the depositing members of the Hartford stacker distribute successive articles laterally of a lehr conveyor but this particular shape may be changed or an actuator having a body of a different shape employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the iventioni.

One of the journals or end portions I8 of the signal actuator may carry a counterweighted arm 23, extending from the axial line oi the journals I8 in a vdirection generally opposite to the bowed or curved body portion Il' of the-signal actuator. The counterweighted arm serves to maintain the body of the signal actuator normally at a predetermined level, such, for example, as the horizontal position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. This position of the body oi the signal actuator is such that a switch actuating rocker arm 24 that is carried by the other journal or end portion I8 of the signal actuator will then be maintained in position to open a switch 2l for controlling an electric signal operating circuit.

'I'his circuit may comprise wires 28, 21 and 28, a source oi' electric current, such as. the battery 28,l

and an electric signal 88,' all as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1. 'The electric signal may be a bell or any other known electrical means for producing a desirable audible or visible signal when the 4signal controlling circuit has been closed.

The illustrated and described practical embodiment of the invention may operate substantially as follows:

lAn article, suchas the bottle shown in dotted lines at in Fig. 2, has been deposited on the lehr conveyor by an associate stacker and .has fallen rearwardly onto the movable signal actuating membcr I1. This movable signal actuator member may be provided with spaced upwardly projecting teeth or ngers, as indicated at 3|, to

prevent the article i'rom rolling laterally of! such member.V The weight of the article on the movable signal actuating member will depress the body thereof, as to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, against the weight of the counterwelghted arm 23. 'I'his movement of the movable actuating member willswing the switch arm 28 as required to close the switch 25. The closing of the electric circuit by this switch will operate the 'signal I8 so that the lehr operator or attendant will be apprised of the situation and may restore the article that has fallen toits proper upright position. The weight on the counterweighted arm 28 may be adjusted along such arm and is suitably positioned to assure return of the movable signal actuating member upwardly to its initial or normal position after the weight of a fallen article has been removed therefrom while yielding in response to the weight of a fallen article, lying on or against the signal actuating member. The adjustment of the signal actuating member toward or away from the entrance to the lehr tunnel permits appropriate presetting o f the device for use with articles of different heights and sizes.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction shown in the drawing and described in detail in the foregoing speciflcation but extends to all such embodiments thereof as are comprehended by the terms of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1- 'An article tipover signal device for a lehr having a conveyor onto which articles to be annealed are deposited in a loading zone adjacent to the entrance of the lehr, comprising a movable actuator located adjacent to said loading zone in position to be actuated by an article tipping or falling over from an upright position on the portion of the conveyor in the loading zone, and means operated in response to the actuation'of said actuator by said article to produce a signal adequate to apprise a lehr attendant that said article has fallen over. Y

2. An article tipover signal device for a lehr having a conveyor onto which articles to be annealed are deposited in a loading zone adjacent to the entrance of the lehr, comprising a pivoted actuator extending over a portion of the conveyor adjacent to said loading zone in position to be rocked about its pivotal axis `by the contact therewith of an article tipping or falling over from an upright position on the adjacent portion of said conveyor, and means operated in response to the rocking of said pivoted actuator about its pivotal axis by said article to produce a signal to a lehr attendant to apprise him that said article has fallen over from its upright position onV the conveyor.

3. An article tipover signal device for a lehr having a conveyor onto which articles to be annealed are deposited in a loading zone adjacent to the entrance of the lehr, comprising an actuator having a movable body portion extending transversely across the conveyor adjacent to and at the front of the loading zone and adapted to be moved by an article that has been deposited on an adjacent portion of the conveyor when such article falls from an upright position against said actuator, and means operated in response to the movement of said actuator by said article for giving a signal to apprise a lehr attendant of the falling or upsetting of the article.

4. An article tipover signal device for a lehr having a conveyor onto which articles to be annealed are deposited in a loading zone adjacent to the entrance o! the lehr, comprising an actuator having aligned journals rotatably supported at the sides of the conveyor adjacent to and in front o! the loading zone and having a forwardly projecting movable body portion extending transversely across the space above the conveyor in position to be struck by an article on the conveyor in the loading zone when such article falls over or upsets in the direction of the actuator, a signal giving mechanism, and normally inactive means operated by the movement of the body portion of said actuator by an article falling or upsetting into contact therewith for operating said signal giving mechanism.

5. An article tipover signal device for a lehr having a conveyor onto which articles to be annealed are deposited in a loading zone adjacent to the entrance of the lehr. comprising a movable actuator extending transversely of the lehr conveyor adjacent to and in i'ront of the loading zone and slightly above the lehr, conveyor, said actuator being adjustable bodily toward and from the loading zone and adapted when in any adjusted position to be moved by an article falling thereagainst after such article has been placed upright on the portion of the conveyor in the loading zone, a normally open electric switch, means actuated by the movement of said movable actuator when an article falls thereagainst to close said switch, an electrical mechanism for producing an audible signal, and a circuit controlled by 5s said switch for operating said electrical mechmism.

6. An article tipover signal device for a lehr having a conveyor onto which articles to be annealed are deposited in a loading zone adjacent to the entrance of the lehr, comprising bearings adjustably supported at the sides of the conveyor belt adjacent to said loading zone and adjustable toward and from said loading zone, an'actuator comprising a rod like member having aligned journal portions supported by said bearings and having a forwardly curved body portion supported above said conveyor and adjacent thereto, said curved portion extending from the axial line of the journal portions of said actuator toward said loading zone and being located in position to be struck by an article on the portion of the conveyor in said loading zone when said article i'alls` over or upsets toward the actuator, a counter'weighted arm extending from one of said journals in the direction opposite said curved bochr portion of the actuator tor maintaining said curved body portion of the actuator normally at a predetermined height above the conveyor and for yielding in response to the weight of said article on said body portion of the actuator. a switch actuating arm carried by one of the journal portions of said, actuator, a normally open switch closed by said switch actuating arm in respect to the movement of the body portion of said actuator when the latter is swung downwardly by an article falling over onto it, and an electrical signal mechanism operatively connected with said vswitch so as to be operated when the switch is closed.

7. An article tipover signal device for a lehr having a conveyor onto which articles to be annealed are deposited in a loading zone adjacent to the entrance of the lehr, comprising bearings adjustably supported at the sides of the conveyor belt adjacentl to said loading zone and adjustable toward and from said loading zone, an actuator comprising a rod like member having aligned journal portions supported by said bearings and having a forwardly curved body portion supported above said conveyor and adjacent thereto, said curved body portion of the actuator having upstanding spaced projections thereon for engaging with the portion of an article that falls thereagainst from an upright position on the adjacent portion of said conveyor to prevent said article from rolling out of contact with said actuator, and means operable in response to the movement of the body of said actu-v ator by said article to produce a signal for apprising a lehr attendant that said article has been upset.

CLARENCE F. BIRD. 

